Children are delighted about train tickets for their school holidays

The PENIEL SOCIAL INSTITUTE is a relief organisation registered in India, which fights poverty in the south of India by means of building children’s homes and schools – and it is proud to present its lovingly and well educated young people. humedica has been supporting some of the partner organisation’s projects for six years.

Ulrike and her husband, Pastor Louis Paul Kern are heads of the Peniel Social Institute. Together with their two daughters the couple lives and works in the state of Karnataka in the south of India. Their son has been studying in Germany – his mother’s home country – for some time.

Since it is especially children who are affected most by poverty and misery, the Kern family and their employees have made it their mission to support in particular the youngest ones of society by means of building children’s homes and schools.

Children’s home at the Kolar Gold Fields

25 children are currently living at the children’s home and they are cared for by Pastor Michael, his wife and some employees. The 14 girls and eleven boys are half-orphans or orphans who, without support, would not have a home, to say nothing about the possibility of attending a school.

During their free time the little inhabitants of the children’s home can play and enjoy themselves on the large grounds. Photo: humedica/Social Peniel Institute

Every morning the children are taken to a primary school outside the grounds of the children’s home and after school has finished they are taken back by a school bus which is financed by humedica. Not long ago Ulrike Kern said that the heads of the children’s home were very proud of all their children, since they had received excellent marks during the past school year.

Unlike in Germany, where pupils have to write tests over the whole school year, pupils in India write one exam at the end of the school year. Besides English and Hindi, the official languages of India, the main subjects are mathematics, natural and social sciences and Kannada, the language prevailing in the south of India.

For the holidays which started a few days ago, train tickets could be bought so the children could visit their relatives and spend their free time with them. Due to the large distances, some of the children have not had the opportunity of visiting their relatives for two years.

Therefore the boys and girls had been accordingly excited, said Ulrike Kern. “They were very happy and absolutely excited when it was time to get on the train. They had to change trains two times and the trip lasted almost three days, but it was more than worth it!”

Peniel English School in Krishnapuram

Pupils of the fifth, sixth and seventh grade attend lessons at the school which is financed by the Peniel Social Institute and humedica. Some of the 144 pupils come from the Peniel children’s home.

The pupils who attend the lessons are eager to learn and ambitious. Photo: humedica/Social Peniel Institute

However, the majority of pupils come from poor families from the surrounding villages. According to Ulrike Kern the school’s employees had had a hard time convincing numerous of the families of sending their children to school, since education was often considered to be unnecessary and superfluous – in particular for girls.

Above all in rural areas the meaning of a good education is often underestimated and the parents need to be convinced of the advantages school can mean for their children by means of extensive conversations.

Far more support is offered

Besides caring for the children living at the children’s home and attending the school, the employees of the Peniel Social Institute do furthermore not turn a blind eye on adults who need help, or on general emergency situations.

Hence, persons with addictions are provided with a place on a treatment programme at a detoxification centre. Or family members who have grown apart due to arguments triggered by their miserable situation are once more brought closer together. And the Peniel Social Institute also offers help if people are lacking food or water or if there are problems with electricity supply.

Dear friends and sponsors of humedica, please support our work by means of a targeted donation for the Social Peniel Institute which gives a future to many needy children, women and men.humedica e.V. Donation Reference „Social Peniel Institute“ Account 47 47 Bank Code 734 500 00Sparkasse Kaufbeuren